The Power of Humor, Art and Spirituality in our Wildernesses

I have been recently reading "Man's Search for Meaning" by Victor Frankel, an account of his experience and reflections as a prisoner in a WWII concentration camp.  He observed that in that wasteland of humanity, the prisoners clung to art & beauty.  From amateur music performances to sunrises illuminated by the fires of war, their hearts were lightened if even for a moment.  They also found moments of humor restored their resilience, although it was typically dark.  Once their train took them past a camp "with chimneys" to a camp "without chimneys" (crematoriums) and they laughed in relief.

I don't pretend that many of us suffer to the extremity of these good people.  However, many of us feel wastelands and depravity inside.  I have been thinking about the role of humor, beauty and art in the health of our soul.  Even though using these tools seldom eliminates the source of our pain, they give us a reprieve and increase our ability to bear the suffering. Draw a picture, appreciate something funny, listen to a song...many of us have felt lighter after doing any of these.  Do we undervalue their importance?

In my recent counseling with my therapist, she referred me to a very valuable site for people suffering from mental health: Distress Tolerance Skills

From the site: 

DBT emphasizes learning to bear pain skillfully because pain and distress are part of life and cannot be entirely avoided. Tolerance is necessary during any behavior change because impulsive behavior would interfere. Distress tolerance is the ability to perceive the environment as it is, without demanding that it be different.

pain + non-acceptance = suffering

pain + acceptance = ordinary pain

Okay, we all are thinking it:

But, truly, those last statements are powerful: "the ability to perceive the environment as it is, without demanding that it be different." That has been super hard for me!  I'm super proactive, but sometimes overzealous proactivity is a recipe for mental and emotional disaster.  And the "math equations" about suffering and ordinary pain are both very valid, or at least they have been for me.

Back to the site: 

Distress Tolerance Skills are meant to help us survive crisis, but they need to be practiced before a crisis occurs. These skills are helpful when we cannot sort out our emotions. These skills are to be used when a crisis cannot be avoided. An important concept is acceptance of reality.

The site gives us mental options when confronted with the inevitable pain and loneliness of negative mental health.  One time when I was in extreme mental anguish, I turned to my counselor who astutely commented: "Well, if you want to choose to focus on your pain and dwell in it, that is a choice."  (She is a very sensitive, compassionate woman who knew that was a good thing to say to me at that moment, to own my choice.)

As you look through the site, I would love to hear in the comments below things that stand out to you or that have worked for you in dealing with the inevitable pain of life <3. 

I have been spending a great deal of time in some of my internal emotional wastelands over the past year.  That is the reality of some aspects of my mental health.   As I read Mr. Frankel's words, I felt a kinship and appreciation to his suffering, for to suffer is to suffer and to compare lessens our ability to mourn with each other and be inspired by each other.  I have seen the benefit and beauty of finding humor and looking for beauty and creating art, which have each served not only as a distraction or moment of relief, but at times they mingle with the pain itself and lessen it.

One of Frankel's most strident injunctions was the value of spirituality--in various forms.  One thing he did was "spoke to" or envisioned his wife who was not with him, whom he later found was killed earlier on. For me, I have found God is in my wildernesses with me, if I choose to look for Him.

What spiritual things have you done to help you in your wildernesses?